Friday, April 29, 2011

2) People who think the Royal Wedding is stupid and delight in mocking those who are obsessed.

But I fit into a third category... I don't get it, but I don't want to make fun of the people who are into it. I kinda feel like I'm missing out on something. I just don't understand weddings at all. It's not caused by some obnoxious pessimism about marriage in general -- I have no plans or desire to get married, but I'm plenty happy for those who do, and I am a gay marriage activist (domestic partnerships are bullshit, but that's a post for another day). But I have never, in my whole life, fantasized about getting married.

A couple weeks ago, my roommate was talking about how she would like to be proposed to someday. That really blew my mind because I never realized anyone thought about that stuff. A couple years ago, someone asked me if my dad or my step-dad would walk me down the aisle, and I burst out laughing. What kind of a question is that?! I've never spent one millisecond thinking about that.

Now the whole world seems to care about the Royal Wedding and I'm just confused. Gabriela said as a 20-something woman, she feels genetically programmed to be wedding-obsessed. So WTF is up with my DNA, hmm?

I've had to make several discoveries through my life, and each time I was totally shocked.

1) Women who are getting married really care about their weddings.

They buy magazines and think about seating arrangements and flowers and matching shoes and they blog about it until I stop reading their blogs. This is weird to me. Why do people want to spend so much money on one day? Why do those things matter? Don't bother trying to explain it to me, either. Because I really don't care.

2) Women who are not getting married anytime soon, even those who are WAY too young, STILL care about their future hypothetical weddings.

They think about what kind of ceremony they want and what dress they will wear and sometimes plan every detail, with a groom to be inserted last. Like a falafel mix you just need to add water to. I definitely don't understand this.

But now, with all the Royal Wedding hoopla, I have made another realization...

3) Women care about the weddings of people they don't even know.

They care about the bouquets they're holding and what everyone's wearing and their vows and they even CRY.

I am not writing this blog post to make fun of women (and whoever else) who care about weddings, Royal or otherwise. It's just that I'm realizing more and more that my brain must be fundamentally different from almost every other woman on Earth, and in a way, I feel like I must be missing out on something. But it's like missing out on what it's like to have a penis -- I'm never gonna have one, so even if it's really fun, it's not worth dwelling on. I'm never going to be six feet tall, be an NFL player, have huge boobs, or give a shit about weddings.

I am exhausted! I have been so busy, but it's all good. BTW - I do have a Fashion Friday post, but I need some time to take better pictures. So it'll be another Fashion Friday on Saturday.

Yesterday I woke up at 7 so I could sneak in some weightlifting before reporting to set at 9AM. I worked as a PA (Production Assistant) all day -- I was out of the house from 8 AM to 11:30 PM. I had an amazing day, it was so fun. All the actors were Australians playing Americans, which was fun to listen to. Their accents were great! After the shoot we went out to dinner and several of us ended up belting out Part of Your World, accompanied by a live piano in the middle of the restaurant. What can I say, actors love attention.

Yesterday's food and exercise:

Exercise:

Weights/strength: deltoids, upper back, traps, obliques

Food Diary:

Breakfast: Coffee

Lunch: Pineapple and cantaloupe from the fruit tray, a few cashews

Snack: 1 serving edamame, 1 serving TJ's beefless strips

Dinner: 1 bowl minestrone

Snack: pumpkin with peanut flour and stevia

Today I woke up at eight so I could do some weights before going to a sound studio to do ADR all day. ADR is short for "Automated Dialogue Replacement" -- it consists of recording all the dialogue that fills out the background of a movie. Extras don't talk, so background dialogue is added in later. I even got to use my Chinese skills for a Chinatown scene and I got to improv some lines as a 5-year-old boy! It was crazy fun. And they ordered me a vegan pizza for lunch, and a guy who isn't even vegan offered to share it with me.

After ADR I had an audition and I immediately had to switch gears. The movie we had been recording for was silly and hilarious and then my audition was SERIOUS. I was playing a drug addict so I had a 20-minute drive to change my mood completely. I'm really happy with the audition, though, and I feel good about it. Yay.

I came home and shoveled some food in my mouth and then walked over to a nearby hotel hosting an AFTRA meeting! (That's one of the actor's unions). I was psyched I could walk there! I got home at almost 11 and now I'm trying to tackle two days' worth of e-mails.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

BTW, he's eating his snack on the windowsill, like a stand-up cafe! Isn't that so cute? I love it.

I spent most of yesterday in airports, from about 1PM to 9PM Pacific time. But before I left I ate a big bowl of broccoli with a little leftover split pea soup:

Flavored with some of this crazy stuff I found in my dad's fridge:

It's like spicy jelly!

I also had two Amy's bistro burger patties before I left -- I managed to eat all of the food I bought for the week. Proud of myself.

In the airport and on the airplanes I ate my snacks I packed -- a sliced red bell pepper, a serving of edamame, and three small oranges. I actually thought the oranges were bigger but once I peeled them they kind of resembled clementines. I was pretty hungry by the time I got home so I ate some pumpkin with peanut flour and stevia, a favorite sweet snack of mine.

Moving on to today! I started out the day with a good workout.

Exercise:

10 minutes bike

Weights: biceps, triceps, abs, obliques

25 minute walk

Still taking it easy on the cardio front, and I will continue to do so for a couple more days. I'm also not really working my leg muscles because surprise, surprise, everything connects to your butt and I just really don't want to aggravate that muscle. Urgh.

I had a dentist appointment today, my first one since moving to LA. Yes, I've been a bit lax in that department. But I do take great care of my teeth -- I brush at least twice a day, I don't really eat sugar, and I floss every day and I always have. So the dentist said my teeth look great! He also said they're the perfect shade of white. Yay! Oh, and... my dentist is really good-looking. I wanted to tell him he's the best-looking dentist I've ever seen but I decided that might make him uncomfortable. But in general I do like to spread the compliments because you never know when somebody hasn't heard it before.

After my appointment I went to Target. I had a nice gift card and I bought myself two dresses! I really need more non-pants options and I didn't have any luck with shorts. Shorts all seem to be either too tiny or too frumpy and mom-ish. No, thanks. But no fear, you will see those dresses this Fashion Friday.

I stopped into TJ's to get some provisions and came home just long enough to put my groceries away when I decided to go to a TAN event. So I shoved a little food in my mouf and scurried out the door to hear a TV director talk. And now I have to go to bed because I have to get up early!

Tomorrow I'm working on the set of a short film all day as a PA (Production Assistant). An acquaintance posted on Twitter that they were looking for some help so I volunteered. That's just what I do -- whenever anyone says they need help with something, I say I can do it. The only bad part is the waking up early, and that I won't have enough time to get a good workout in. But I am going to wake up extra early so I can at least lift some weights!

I gotta ask -- do you floss every day? I wonder how many people do. So no judgments, just curiosity! I do floss every day, with very few exceptions. It's a habit and I would feel weird skipping it.

Monday, April 25, 2011

This week was a challenge because I was in Kansas and because I pulled a muscle. I've been really careful with it -- resting, icing, and using a heating pad. It's feeling better so I know I'm on the right track, but it did put a damper on my workouts. I didn't get back to doing a little cardio until Saturday, and before that it had been since Tuesday. But I did keep up my upper body and abs workouts, using heavier weights because that's what my dad has.

I did pretty well with eating, though I've definitely been eating more fruit and less protein than I usually do and I don't think that's best for me.

I also chased my brother around in a big circle in the kitchen for 15 minutes until he was absolutely exhausted. And we danced to his bongo music! His toy bongos play different songs but he plays the Native American one over and over again. He knows what he likes.

Tomorrow I'm headed back to LA. I am ready for some warmer weather, but I'll miss my family!

Sorry, I would have posted this yesterday but I've been focused on family time.

Tomorrow is my last day in Kansas. Boohoo. I think I'm going to go see Water for Elephants with my step-mom -- she read the book and gave it to me to read and I plowed through it in the last two days. It's a quick read and definitely enjoyable. I love historical fiction, there's nothing better than getting sucked into another time and learning and imagining what life was really like.

Good news -- my pulled muscle is feeling a little better. I'm still doing upper body and ab work and I am looking forward to getting back to cardio as soon as I feel it's safe.

Friday, April 22, 2011

I'm having a lovely time with my family. My baby brother is so freaking cute and since I was here over Christmas he has developed some rather adorable OCD tendencies. He's going through a "helpful" phase and loves to clean.

He's "vacuuming" the garage.

He meticulously set up his Elmos next to him, and adjusted them so they were perfect.

Hugs!

He is so adorable.

I do have some bad news. =( I pulled a muscle! The muscle right where my left hamstring connects to my butt really hurts. So I'm sticking to upper-body weights for a few days, icing, and taking aspirin. Hopefully it will feel better in a few days. But it's very hard to rest your butt, seeing as I use it every time I walk, stand up, sit down, bend over...

I've been eating a lot of the same things because I didn't want to buy a bunch of stuff that wouldn't get eaten while I'm here.

Last night I watched all four episodes so far of The Borgias, a new Showtime show about a corrupt pope and his family. It's awesome!! I'm so bummed that I won't get to watch the rest of it once I get home because I don't have Showtime.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

I have a new post up on Chic Vegan! We all know how much I love Nature Mart and the Santa Monica Co-Op, and now everyone else does, too. I wrote an article all about LA's best indie grocery stores and co-ops. Check it out!

I also have a fun new video to watch! I narrated this funny short video all in French. It's very silly!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Today ended up being a rest day from exercise just because I didn't have time to work out before my flight. But it probably isn't a bad thing to get a little rest! I've been trying to eat my food so it won't go bad while I'm gone. For breakfast I had the rest of my roasted brussels sprouts and squash.

I also had a little almond milk to finish the container and the last serving of Chicken-less strips, which Faith asked me about -- they taste like the kind of chicken strips you would get in a fajita, and I think they're fairly accurate, but not creepily so. I like them.

I also bought these beets, which I put on my salad last night -

Kind of an impulse purchase and now I'm afraid I can't finish them before I leave. =( Oops. They're just beets, by the way -- the cheese in the picture is a "serving suggestion."

I went to the LA Actors Tweetup tonight and afterwards went to Canters Deli with a couple friends. It was 1 AM and I was starving so I got hummus and pita, which I shared with my friends - all the hummus got eaten, but only about half the pita - and I ate a pickle that I smeared with horseradish. It might seem crazy but it's actually quite tasty.

I had planned on doing another workout when I got home from the Tweetup but I stayed out so late that the plan got scrapped. Oh well!

Monday, April 18, 2011

OK -- three weeks ago I said I wanted to get buff. Coincidentally, that post has become my #2 most popular post! I shared my feelings after one week and the results I started seeing and feeling after two weeks.

After one week, I could feel new definition in my biceps. Last week, I could see some. This week, I definitely do!

Last week:

This week:

Hells yeah, right? Can you see that?

That shadow underneath my bicep is an entirely new development of the last couple weeks.

Last week, right arm (I can tell by my freckle!):

This week:

Yes, it looks weird to take a picture in front of a mirror. But can't you see a difference in just a week? I can.

I'm not bicep-obsessed or anything, but it's the easiest muscle to take a picture of.

Last week I said I could see more definition in my legs and I would say I see more this week, too. I'm just starting to see some definition between my quadricep and inner thigh muscle, which I have never seen on myself. I even see more definition in my calves, which have always been very strong.

Muscly calves.

Something very exciting -- I'm starting to see some definition in my shoulders and triceps! I feel like I have been working on that for years and I can never see a change. I can't wait until I look strong without flexing.

Do you know how hard it is to take a picture of your own back? That's the best I could do.

I did take a couple other pictures of my outfit, so we can have something besides me flexing...

I did a ton of pushups the day before yesterday, and I'm still sore all over my upper back, chest, and where my arms meet my torso. Whatever those muscles are. I did different kinds of pushups, too -- regular, knee, and diamond. The plank probably targeted those muscles, too. So they're still wiped!

My inner thighs are still sore, too. So today was another pretty light day for strength -- I want to make sure I'm getting enough recovery.

Wow, I was going to share some more reflections but I feel like this post has gotten long enough.

I will say, though, that I am having fun and feeling great. This is the first time I've started a new fitness plan that was more about the exercise than the diet. Sure, I'm eating healthy, but I haven't really changed the way I eat from usual -- I'm just eating when I'm hungry and choosing good foods that I enjoy. I don't really crave "unhealthy" foods, anyways. And I really do love broccoli.

I'm not at the point where I want to tweak what I'm doing or decide whether I'm getting the results I want. I'm still looking at this an experiment and I have no idea what will happen after six or twelve weeks... but I can't wait to find out!

Sunday, April 17, 2011

I am sore today pretty much everywhere, so I decided that today would be a good day to take off from weight lifting. I have some very interesting sore muscles in my butt and legs that I think came from my weird sideways-running exercises that were inspired by basketball warmups.

After my morning workout I headed out for my two auditions! (I did shower first...) For the first one, I played a 16-year-old band geek. The script was super cute (a little "Freaks and Geeks") and I was so excited when I realized I owned the perfect shirt to wear:

This was my dad's shirt, so I'm pretty sure it's really old.

The audition went great. But I was a little early and they got me in early and then I just had time to kill. I was on the AFI campus, which is a gorgeous little campus adjacent to Griffith Park on a hill overlooking Los Angeles. It was super clear today and I didn't want to leave so I just walked around the campus for 45 minutes or so, dawdling and talking on the phone.

I drove over near my next audition and I still had tons of time so I stopped in Buffalo Exchange to look at shorts. It is so freaking hot today -- 90 or so, with no clouds -- and I don't own a single pair of shorts. I didn't find any I liked so it seems I will remain shortless a while longer.

I was still almost an hour early but I went over to my next audition. I was playing a 1980's punk who hates high school, so I busted out my Sex Pistols God Save the Queen t-shirt!

I don't dress in a costume for auditions (that's gimmicky and silly), but I like to wear something that feels like the character might wear.

The audition went really well, but I found out the shoot dates are next week when I'll be in Kansas visiting my dad, which wasn't clear when I got the audition notification. I would change my travel plans if necessary, because work comes first, and the project is super cool. But I'm a little bummed just at the prospect because I realized today... I really need to go see my family.

I spend a lot of time by myself. That doesn't bother me, but every now and then I do feel this emptiness and nostalgia for my teenage years living at home. This feeling was only exacerbated by watching the first episode of the 5th season of Friday Night Lights, which premiered on Friday but I caught up with on Hulu today. I love Friday Night Lights -- it's really an incredible show, and I almost want to cry just hearing the opening music. But FNL celebrates three things: family, small towns, and football. FNL is set in Texas but it feels so similar to Indiana. I really love LA and I'm definitely a city girl but there's a part of me that gets nostalgic for small-town life, living with my family, and long-term relationships. I also miss high school and college football! I spent eight years going to football games. Man, that makes me feel old.

On a side note... I'm a little bummed because I feel like FNL is slightly ruined for me now, because I know one of the actors on the show (who just joined for the last season). We were friends in high school but he won't talk to me now - he even unfriended me on Facebook - and I have no idea why. I know I'm way too sensitive about things like that, but it bothers me so much that I don't like seeing him on the show. (BTW, I won't say who it is, so don't ask)

So, feeling a little frustrated and sad, I just went for a run. It helped.

Oh, and extra bummer? I got my first parking ticket ever today. I parked in a spot and I checked the signs and I was fine -- but I didn't see that there was a meter. There was a big truck obscuring it so I didn't even realize it was a meter spot. I was bummed but I just went ahead and paid it online because I want it to be over with and I don't want to stress about it.

But I guess I should counteract that story and say that I did get my SAG (Screen Actors Guild) letter in the mail today, saying that I'm officially SAG-Eligible. I was already considering myself SAG-E, just waiting for the paperwork to go through, and it turns out it was taking so long because SAG has no idea how to spell my name. Apparently my name is Erika HeideWold. Baller.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Because I accidentally forgot to publish Thursday's post on time, today's post will cover yesterday and today. Before I started this new workout regimen I didn't feel the need to chronicle every day but now I'm enjoying keeping track. It helps me plan my workouts by reminding me what I've done for the last couple days and I know I'll want to look back on it as I track my progress.

Yesterday was busy! I got to sleep in (yay!) and then I got a good workout in and prepped for my audition at 4:40. The audition went well, though it was a little weird. They stopped me in the middle of my read and asked me to read for the lead instead!

The audition was rather depressing subject matter so I cheered myself up with a walk around Ulta and looked at makeup. Hah. Then I picked up some necessities at Target and Trader Joe's. Because I had several places to go, I just parked once and walked around so I got some nice walking done. But it was really hot -- in the 80's! I wondered why I wore a long-sleeve shirt.

I bought some edamame from TJ's to eat before an event at The Actors' Network at 7:30. I wanted to get something from the Whole Foods salad bar but I was in a rush because my audition went so long. After The Actors' Network I had a workshop at 9:30 about pursuing work in episodic television. I had some time in between so I finally got to walk over to WF and get some assorted salad bar stuff.

Today was a much less busy day, so I spent more time working out and I also cleaned and vacuumed my apartment. I Skyped with my mom for quite a while and prepped for the two auditions I have tomorrow. I also got a little job narrating a short film in French, but I had to translate my own dialogue from English to French, so I worked on that tonight.

Deltoids are sore, upper back is sore, upper hamstrings are sore from yesterday/the day before.

I intended on going for a walk, but I ended up running most of the time. It's weird, but running feels pretty easy, even though I don't do it much. I can tell that all the other cardio I'm doing is helping make running easier.

Food Diary:

Breakfast: Cracklin' Oat Bran with almond milk

Lunch: Veggie bowl with lentils, broccoli slaw, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, and nooch (I actually had two bowls. The first was more broccoli, the 2nd was more cauliflower)

I woke up at FIVE THIRTY today. I know that probably isn't too early for most of you professionals out there, but that is a little crazy for me. I frequently stay up until 3, and I've only woken up that early once this whole year, when I volunteered at ActorFest.

I had to be on set at 7 because I was helping out as a PA (production assistant). I was ten minutes early! Before I left I packed this food for myself:

Organic grapefruit and apple, edamame, Luna bar. I was there from 7-5 and I ate all of this. But it was perfect because it took me all through the day!

Today was a lot of fun. I got to help out carrying boxes and stuff and I also dressed up for the Halloween Party sketch as a J-Pop (Japanese pop music) singer and wore my pink wig. Sorry I didn't get a picture! There was a photographer, though, so I'll probably get a picture I can post in a couple weeks. When I wasn't being my super helpful PA self, I got to sit in the audience and just watch sketches and laugh.

When I got home I had a bowl of lentil soup/broccoli slaw/broccoli/spinach, some pumpkin pudding, and almond milk and talked to my mom for 30 minutes. I hadn't talked to her in a week and a half! Then I squeezed in a 20 minute bike ride before getting to work doing Spanish translation that took me 3 1/2 hours. What a busy day. I probably should have gone to bed after that, but I felt energetic and really wanted to work out! So here's the daily rundown:

Exercise:

20 minutes bike

(4 hours later)

40 minutes bike

Weights: biceps, triceps, hamstrings, obliques

stretching

Food Diary:

Breakfast: 2 servings edamame

Lunch: 1 grapefruit, 1 Luna bar

Snack: 1 apple, 1 serving edamame

Dinner: Lentil veggie bowl, pumpkin pudding

Ahh, good day. Now it's 2:15 AM and I swear, I'm going to bed now.

P.S. I totally meant to post this yesterday. Oops. When I looked at my blog today I was like WTF? I guess I did something wrong when scheduling it. Arghh

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

My love for soup is well-documented. But you may have been wondering just how I have managed to eat so much corn chowder and lentil soup lately. Well today the secret is revealed.

I've written about my favorite bulk soups before, and last time I was at Nature Mart I checked the brand. I looked it up on the internet to see if I could find a store closer to me, and discovered instead that I could save money by buying in bulk from the Taste Adventure website. So I bought ten pounds of each! It cost about $32 for 10 pounds.

On my walk/jog/sprint I did a lot of the exercises I see basketball players do where they shuffle sideways, and then I would flip around and run backwards, then flip around and run forwards, then shuffle sideways, etc. I probably looked a little crazy but it was fun.

Besides that today, I spent a few hours researching and writing an article for a new website (it's a paying job! Yay!) and I went to Trader Joe's to buy some supplies for tomorrow. I have to get up at 5:30 and I'll be on set all day. Everyone else will be surviving off of Red Vines and pizza so I'm bringing my own food!